Hill Nubian languages

The Hill Nubian languages, also called Kordofan Nubian,[2] are a dialect continuum of Nubian languages spoken by the Hill Nubians in the northern Nuba Mountains of Sudan.

Hill Nubian
Kordofan Nubian
Native toSudan
RegionNuba Hills
EthnicityHill Nubians
Native speakers
(91,000 cited 1978–2017)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3Variously:
ghl – Ghulfan
kdu – Kadaru
kko – Karko
wll – Wali
dil – Dilling
drb – Dair
elh – El Hugeirat
Glottologkord1246

Classification

The Hill Nubian languages are generally classified as being in the Central branch of the Nubian languages, one of three branches of the Nubian languages, the other two being Northern (Nile), consisting of Nobiin, and Western (Darfur), consisting of Midob. They are grouped together with Kenzi-Dongolawi (not seen to be closely related to Nobiin, despite their proximity) and Birgid, a language of southwestern Sudan extinct since the 1970s.[3] Nubian lies within the Eastern Sudanic family, which is part of the Nilo-Saharan phylum.

Languages

There are seven Hill Nubian languages, according to Ethnologue and Glottolog. Some of the languages have dialects. Their internal classification within Hill Nubian is not well established. Glottolog classifies Hill Nubian (Kordofan Nubian) into two branches: Eastern Kordofan Nubian and Western Kordofan Nubian, containing three and four languages respectively.[4] Ethnologue, however, only groups Kadaru and Ghulfan together, leaving the rest unclassified within Hill Nubian, as follows:[5]

  • Kadaru-Ghulfan
    • Ghulfan (also Gulfan, Uncu, Uncunwee, Wunci, Wuncimbe) – 33,000 speakers
    • Kadaru (also Kadaro, Kadero, Kaderu, Kodhin, Kodhinniai, Kodoro, Tamya) – 25,000 speakers
  • Dair (also Dabab, Daier, Thaminyi) – 1,024 speakers
  • Dilling (also Delen, Warkimbe, Warki) – 11,000 speakers
  • El Hugeirat (also El Hagarat) – 50 speakers
  • Karko (also Garko, Kaak, Karme, Kithonirishe, Kakenbi) – 7,000 speakers
  • Wali (also Walari, Walarishe, Wele) – 9,000 speakers

Additionally, one extinct language known only from a word list of 36 words, Haraza, is unclassified within Hill Nubian.

List of Kordofan Nubian (Hill Nubian) language varieties according to Rilly (2010:164-165):[6]

Language varietySpeakersDistribution
Dair (Thaminyi)1,000Jebel ed-Dair, an isolated escarpment in the northeastern Nuba Mountains
Tagle (Taglena, Kororo, Kururu)Jebel Kururu, in the Kadaro Massif
Kadaro (Kadero, Kadaru, Kodoro, Kodhin, Kodhinniai)6,000Kadaro Massif
Koldegisouth of the Kadaro Massif
Dabatna (Kaalu)Jebel Dabatna, located to the southwest of the Kadaro Massif
HabilaJebel Habila, an isolated hill between Dilling and the Kadaro Massif
Ghulfan (Gulfan, Wunci, Wuncimbe)16,384Ghulfan Massif; Kurgul dialect in the east, and Morung dialect in the west
Debri (Wei)Jebel Debri, located south of the Ghulfan Massif
Kudur (Kwashi)Jebel Kudur, an isolated hill north of Dilling
Dilling (Deleny, Deleñ, Warki)5,300Dilling and surroundings
Kasha (Kenimbe)Jebel Kasha, an isolated hill north of Dilling
Karko (Garko, Kargo, Kithonirishe)13,000Karko Massif, located west of Dilling; dialects are Dulman and Kundukur
FandaJebel Fanda, south of the Karko Massif
Kujuria (Kunak)Kunit or Kujuria Hills, located southwest of the Karko Massif
Wali (Walari, Walarishe)1,024Wali Massif, located southwest of Dilling
TabagJebel Tabag, an isolated massif in the western Nuba Mountains
Abu-JinukJebel Abu Jinuk, an isolated massif in the western Nuba Mountains
El-Hugeirat1,024far western Nuba Mountains

See also

References
  1. Ghulfan at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) closed access
    Kadaru at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) closed access
    Karko at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) closed access
    Wali at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) closed access
    Dilling at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) closed access
    Dair at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) closed access
    (Additional references under 'Language codes' in the information box)
  2. Jakobi, Angelika; Ruffini, Giovanni; Oei, Vincent W. J. van Gerven (2014-06-03). Dotawo: A Journal of Nubian Studies: Vol. 1: 2014. punctum books. p. 203. ISBN 9780692229149.
  3. "Nubian". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2017-06-24.
  4. "Glottolog 3.0 - Kordofan Nubian". glottolog.org. Retrieved 2017-06-24.
  5. "Hill". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2017-06-24.
  6. Rilly, Claude. 2010. Le méroïtique et sa famille linguistique. Leuven: Peeters Publishers. ISBN 978-9042922372

More information on specific linguistic characteristics and/or variations among Hill Nubian languages

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